The past is the past  Rachel and Paul love story
by oliviac2
Summary: Rachel Black has been running from the past till she meets Paul then she realizes love makes her face her fears
1. Chapter 1

"The past is the past," most people say when they wont to forget the past. When they just want it to all go away and have an excuse for it when it does get brought up once more. The thing is you cant run from it...you cant hide from it, but when you face it, will you stand tall and fight it? Or will you...crumble?

"Rachel, you don't have to go," my best friend and roommate Allison said as she helped me back everything in my car. "Al, you don't understand I haven't seen my dad since I left four years ago...I ran away from him, from everything, I think it's time to move back." She just gave me this look, Allison knew me to well to know when I was lying. "Promise me you will visit California one time this year?" I couldn't help but smile and pull her in for a hug. Allison knew everything about the past...well except what I was running from.

After an eight hour drive having moments when I just wanted to turn around and go home to Pullman, I reached the small reservation. Nothing at all has changed, everything was like how it was four years ago. Butterflies filled my stomach as I pulled up to the foreign, little red house. I couldn't help but smile, the loving memories flowed back to me, but one still took over the rest. It was like I could hear her voice calling me... "RACHEL!" I jumped as I saw my little brother Jacob running from the house, now he looked VERY different. He almost didn't look like my brother I remembered. I hopped out of the car and into his arms; he swung me around like I was as light as a feather. "Whoa Jake," I said as he put me down, "are you perusing a career in body building?" I asked feeling his big arms. He just burst out laughing; I really missed that about him. "No, just be building them up for the ladies," I giggled at his explanation. "Dad is inside, I'll get your things, oh and I'm cooking dinner so be ready from some amazing steaks," I giggled and walked into the house. Everything was the same from the beat up couch Jacob and i use to watch movies every Saturday night on to the broken window square Rebecca's boyfriends hit a baseball through. "Is that my little girl," I turned to see my father in his wheelchair, smiling up at me. He looked like he aged so much, he had dark circle under his eyes, more wrinkles on his face. "Well, are you going to stand there or give your father a hug," I knelt down and hugged my father, he squeezed me, like when i left because, at the time, he knew I wasn't coming back for a while.


	2. Chapter 2

Jake was right his steaks were the best, after I unpacked and fixed my room up which was not as big as the house Allison and I had back in Pullman, this felt right in a way. Being back home with Jake and dad. I can tell that they loved having me back; it has just been those two for the past four or five years. I did almost forget how much I loved Jake; he could make me laugh no matter what mood I was in. That night we stayed up and talked about everything it was two in the morning by the time he went to bed.

The next few weeks where different, I was use to waking up early going to classes, then working, now I am completely thrown off. I have caught up with a lot of old friends from High School, almost of them have said "I have been stuck here, how did you leave?" I could never really give them a straight answer, considering I don't know how I left either. How I ran from everything, how I ran from the truth. "You want to go to the beach?" I looked up from my laptop to see Jake standing there in shorts and a t-shirt, while I was in my pajamas under three blankets and was still freezing. "Jake its freezing," "we aren't going to swim stupid, just hang out, take a walk," I sighed, "let me change."

I really missed First Beach, I remember I would come here everyday after tutoring and soccer. "Why did you leave Ray?" Jacob has called me Ray for as long as I can remember. I was quiet trying to think up a reason, but if I lied to Jacob then when he figured out the truth it would just hurt him more. "I ran," "from what?" I sighed, "From the fact mom was gone, from this place, I felt like I was closed up, like this place was all I will ever know. I didn't want that neither did Rebecca," Jake was quiet for a long time was we walked, "I missed you so much," "Jacob I'm sorry," he was quiet I jumped in front of him, even then he was looking out to the ocean. "Jake, look at me," he did as I said, "I am truly sorry."

After that day I felt like a little bit of weight was lifted off my shoulders, one person to tell down tons more to go. I also started running again, I forgot how much I loved running, it feels like nothing can touch me that everything is left behind and I am running into a new future.


End file.
